


Not (Quite) the End of the World, But You Can See it From Here

by sanctum_c



Series: Turk Week 2018 [3]
Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alcohol, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Drinking to Cope, End of the World, Gen, Getting through the end of the world with the power of alcohol, Missing Scene, Shinra Company, Turks (Compilation of FFVII)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27198340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Meteor still hangs in the sky overhead. The Shinra-26 barely put a dent in it and the company is falling apart. The Turks have decided to go out on their terms.
Relationships: The Turks & The Turks (Compilation of FFVII)
Series: Turk Week 2018 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1609954
Kudos: 4





	Not (Quite) the End of the World, But You Can See it From Here

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt 'Drinking Games'

Meteor still lurked; an ugly red blot high in the darkening sky. Fires raged at the top of the Shinra building. The eight rectors encircling Midgar lay dark and inert, Hojo’s last, mad scheme near enough the final nail in the city’s coffin. But Elena was still here, sat near the edge of the Sector Eight plate. Despite Reeve’s impassioned insistence, there were still people wandering the Upper plate and who knew how many people clung to the relative safety of the slums. So many choosing to wait here and not headed for Kalm and a hope for- What?

Meteor would fall and what happened after was a subject of debate. The last analysis by the newly important space division confirmed what observers knew well enough; Meteor was not hurtling towards them. It was above them, ready to fall. Assuming it did not accelerate up to a damaging velocity without warning – a risk when dealing with magically influenced astrophysics – the result of the impact in purely physical terms would be bad but not catastrophic.

The comment had provoked a hastily covered snort from Elena. Assuming they were dealing with nothing more than several billion tonnes of red rock – a naïve assumption – the world would still suffer. The point of impact (a calculation changing by the day based on new observations) a lost cause wherever it was. A lot depended on land or sea fall with all the inherent complications. Survival plans were hastily discussed; distant bases, mine-shafts, anything on the opposite side of the Planet once it was clear enough.

There was a sense of optimism – until Scarlet spoke up. The precise origins of Meteor remained murky; the Turks own intel from the Cetra Temple, Wallace’s statement and Hojo’s more coherent commentary certainly pointed to Sephiroth being responsible for calling the object towards them. Given the oddity of Meteor’s presence, its stability in orbit, its withstanding of the attempt with the Shinra 26; how could they assume the affect would purely be physical?

The space division objected to the descent into fantastical. The protest bought them few favors, their thinking deemed short-sighted. The notion of extra-Planetary materia and related magic was a leap, but not one without precedence. The nature, composition and effect of Meteor touching the ground defied prediction. It may not have the hammer of the gods feel of an asteroid impact, but the devastation could be far beyond expectations.

Ironically, her speech hearkened back to anti-Shinra protests of recent years. Staring down the barrel of the gun, no stance could be clung to with the same faith. The space team protested and continued their insistence on a bunker of some kind. Rufus had okayed the plan. Now he was dead. Scarlet and Heideggar were gone too. And Meteor waited. How far or where could Elena go? Was there a merit to living through this?

A noise behind her. Reno. “Weren’t sure you were coming.”

He shrugged. “Got nowhere else to go do I?”

Elena nodded. Turks never discussed family. There were girlfriends, boyfriends, a trace of some familial past. But when they shed their surnames, they dropped a connection back to other people. The Turks – Reno and Rude – were all the family she had left. “Yeah,” she said.

Reno dropped to the ground beside her as slovenly dressed as always. Clearly not the end of the world yet. He opened a bottle of some clear liquor and after a long swig passed it to her. Elena spluttered after the first sip. “What is this?” She sniffed the bottle. “Is rocket fuel or something?”

“Like I could get rocket fuel.” Reno rolled his eyes. “Last of that went kaboom up there. This is all there was. Looters were way ahead of me on the best way to wait this part out.”

Elena nodded and took another swig. Not as bad this time - despite the sensation of her throat lining stripping away with each swallow. “Seen Rude?” She passed the bottle back.

“He’ll come, don’t worry.” Reno shot a glance over his shoulder. “He’s supposed to be doing the heavy lifting.” He grinned and fell silent.

They stayed silent for some unknown stretch of time as the sky darkened and Meteor brightened. They passed the bottle back and forth, the horrible taste lessening as it took greater effect on Elena. Hours? Days? Sometime later, something heavy thumped into the concrete beside Elena. “Glad I made it in time,” Rude murmured, smirking down at her. At his feet was a hard plastic crate filled with an eclectic mix of alcoholic drinks.

“Hey,” Reno drawled, flipping the other Turk a lazy salute. “Just in time.”

Elena glanced up, her stomach lurching. But despite Reno’s words, Meteor seemed as distant as it had always been. She hid the movement as best she could with another swig from the bottle. Rude settled on her other side and opened a bottle. This was the end of the world; either she would die with the only family she still had – or she would endure the future with a hell of a hangover.


End file.
